Compilation of spelling resources and games.

Practising Spellings At Home

It is really important that parents and caregivers are involved in helping children
to learn their spellings. Confidence in spelling allows children to write more freely
and imaginatively. You should practise your spellings regularly. Here are some
games or ideas you could use. Why not try a different one each night to keep it
fun and interesting. Remember everyone learns by; doing it, seeing it, saying it,
writing/drawing it, listening to it so making sure you have variety of games and
tasks is a great way to ensure the learning sticks!
1) Word Search
Create your own word searches using your spelling words. Or use this link to get
your computer to do it for you.
http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/WordSearchSetupForm.asp
2) Draw your words on Lite-Brite. http://www.sfpg.com/animation/liteBrite.html#
%7CHERE
3) Air spelling:
Choose a spelling word. With your index finger write the word in the air slowly,
say each letter. Your parent needs to remind you that you need to be able to
'see' the letters you have written in the air. When you have finished writing the
word underline it and say the word again. Now get you parents to ask you
questions the about the word. For example they could ask 'What is the first
letter?' 'What is the last letter?' 'How many letters are there?' etc.
4) Media Search:
Using a newspaper or magazine you have 15 minutes to look for your spelling
words. Circle them in different coloured crayon. Which of your spellings words
was used the most times?
5) Shaving Cream Practice:
An easy way to clean those dirty tables is to finger paint on them with shaving
cream. Squirt some on the table (with your parents permission and supervision!)
and then practice spelling your words by writing them with your finger in the
shaving cream.
6) Salt Box Spelling:
Ask your parents pour salt into a shallow box or tray (about 3cm deep) and then
practice writing you spellings in it with your finger.
7) Scrabble Spelling:
Find the letters you need to spell you words and then mix them up in the bag.
Get your parents to time you unscrambling your letters. For extra maths practice
you could find out the value of each of you words.
8) Pyramid Power:
Sort your words into a list from easiest to hardest. Write the easiest word at the
top of the page near the middle. Write the next easiest word twice underneath.
Write the third word three times underneath again until you have built your
pyramid
9) Ransom Note:
Cut the letters needed to for your words from a newspaper or magazine and glue
them down to spell the words.
10) Spell It With Beans:
Use Lima beans (or any dried beans or lentils) to spell out your words. If you glue
them onto separate pieces of card then you made a great set of flash cards to
practice with for the rest of the week.
11) Pipe Cleaners Or Tooth Picks:

Compilation of spelling resources and games.

These are just a couple of suggestions of things you could use to for your spelling
words.
12) Tasty Words:
Just like above but this time try and find tasty things to spell your words with, like
raisins. Then when you spell them right you get to eat them!
13) Design A Word:
Pick one word and write it in bubble letters. Colour in each letter in a different
pattern.
14) Sign Your Word:
Practice spelling your words by signing each letter. To see the New Zealand Sign
Language Alphabet http://www.nzsign.co.nz/Downloads/fingerspelling.pdf
15) Water wash:
Use a paintbrush and water to write your words outside on concrete or
pavements.
16) ABC Order:
Write your words out in alphabetical order. Then write them in reverse
alphabetical order.
17) Story Time:
Write a short short using all your words. Don't forget to check your punctuation!
18) Simple Sentence:
Write a sentence for each of your words. Remember each sentence must start
with a capital letter and end with a full stop.
19) Colourful Words:
Use two different coloured pens to write your words. One to write the consonants
and one to write the vowels. Do this a couple of times then write the whole word
in one colour.
20) Memory Game:
Make pairs of word cards. Turn them all over and mix them up. flip over two
cards, if they match you get to keep them, if not you have to turn them over
again. Try and match all the pairs.
21) Finger Tracing:
Use your finger to spell out each of your words on your mum or dad's back. Then
it's their turn to write the words on your back for your to feel and spell.
22) Spelling Steps:
Write your words as if they were steps, adding one letter each time. (It's much
easier doing this on squared paper)
23) Scrambled Words:
Write your words then write them again with all the letters mixed up.
24) X-Words:
Find two of your spelling words with the same letter in and write them so they
criss cross.
25) Ambidextrous:
Swap your pen into the hand that you don't normally write with. Now try writing
out your spellings with that hand.
26) Telephone Words:
Translate your words into numbers from the telephone keypad.
27) Secret Agent:
Write out the alphabet, then give each letter a different number from 1 to 26. (a
= 1, b = 2, c = 3 ect.) Now you can spell out your words in secret code.
28) Missing Letters:
Ask your mum or dad to write out one of your words loads of times on piece of
paper, but each time they have to miss out a letter or two. Then you have to fill

Compilation of spelling resources and games.

in the missing letters. After you have checked them all try it again with another
word.
29) Listen Carefully:
Ask your parents to spell out one of your words then you have to say what the
word is they've spelt out.
30) Acrostic:
Use words that start with each letter in your spelling word. Youre more likely to
remember it if it makes sense!